Burner for combustor with hydrogen generation from ammonia and related method

Abstract

A burner for a combustor of a gas turbine system is disclosed. The burner includes an outer fuel/air premixer body that mixes fuel and air for injection into a combustion chamber. An inner hydrogen-generating body is within the outer fuel/air premixer body. The hydrogen-generating body includes a hollow body having a second air inlet, and an ammonia passage within the hollow body. The ammonia passage has an ammonia inlet, a heat exchanger portion, a catalyst portion downstream, and an exit to the combustion chamber. An air flow from the second air inlet in the hollow body heats the heat exchanger portion and the catalyst portion to generate a hydrogen-containing flow from an ammonia flow therein. The hydrogen exits the ammonia passage to the combustor reaction zone to stabilize combustion with ammonia and the fuel/air mixture from the outer fuel/air premixer body. A related method is also disclosed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A burner for a combustor of a gas turbine system, the burner comprising:
 an outer fuel/air premixer body having a first air inlet, a fuel inlet, and a mixing passage, the outer fuel/air premixer body mixing fuel and air for injection into a combustion chamber; and   an inner hydrogen-generating body within the outer fuel/air premixer body, the inner hydrogen-generating body including:
 a hollow body having a second air inlet; and 
 an ammonia passage within the hollow body, the ammonia passage having an ammonia inlet, a heat exchanger portion downstream from the ammonia inlet, a catalyst portion downstream of the heat exchanger portion, and an exit to the combustor reaction zone downstream of the catalyst portion, 
 wherein an air flow from the second air inlet in the hollow body heats the heat exchanger portion and the catalyst portion to generate a hydrogen-containing flow from an ammonia flow therein, the hydrogen-containing flow exiting from the exit of the ammonia passage to the combustion chamber. 
   
     
     
         2 . The burner of  claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger portion includes one of a helical passage and a sinusoidal passage. 
     
     
         3 . The burner of  claim 1 , wherein the first air inlet and the second air inlet are in fluid communication with a discharge of a compressor upstream of the burner, wherein air entering the second air inlet has a higher temperature than the ammonia flow in the heat exchanger portion. 
     
     
         4 . The burner of  claim 1 , wherein the ammonia flow is gaseous ammonia. 
     
     
         5 . The burner of  claim 1 , wherein the outer fuel/air premixer body includes a first tube concentrically spaced from a second tube, and a swozzle assembly between the first tube and the second tube downstream of the first air inlet, the swozzle assembly including a plurality of turning vanes imparting a swirl to air passing therebetween, wherein each of the turning vanes includes an internal fuel flow passage in fluid communication with at least one fuel nozzle, the fuel inlet introducing fuel into the internal fuel flow passage. 
     
     
         6 . The burner of  claim 1 , further comprising an end plate coupled to the inner hydrogen-generating body, the end plate configured to removably position the inner hydrogen-generating body within the outer fuel/air premixer body. 
     
     
         7 . The burner of  claim 6 , wherein the second air inlet includes an opening in the end plate in fluid communication with a source of hot air. 
     
     
         8 . The burner of  claim 1 , wherein the second air inlet includes an opening in the hollow body in fluid communication with the mixing passage. 
     
     
         9 . The burner of  claim 1 , wherein the catalyst portion is replaceable. 
     
     
         10 . The burner of  claim 1 , further comprising a first passage support positioned upstream of the catalyst portion to position the ammonia passage within the hollow body, and a second passage support positioned downstream of the catalyst portion to position the ammonia passage within the hollow body, wherein each passage support includes an open interior to allow air to pass therethrough. 
     
     
         11 . A combustor for a gas turbine system, the combustor comprising:
 a combustor body including a combustion liner;   a head end assembly including a plurality of burners directed into the combustion liner, at least one burner including:   an outer fuel/air premixer body having a first air inlet, a fuel inlet, and a mixing passage, the outer fuel/air premixer body mixing fuel and air for injection into a combustion chamber; and   an inner hydrogen-generating body within the outer fuel/air premixer body, the inner hydrogen-generating body including:
 a hollow body having a second air inlet; and 
 an ammonia passage within the hollow body, the ammonia passage having an ammonia inlet, a heat exchanger portion downstream from the ammonia inlet, a catalyst portion downstream of the heat exchanger portion, and an exit to the combustor reaction zone downstream of the catalyst portion, 
 wherein an air flow from the second air inlet in the hollow body heats the heat exchanger portion and the catalyst portion to generate a hydrogen-containing flow from an ammonia flow therein, the hydrogen-containing flow exiting from the exit of the ammonia passage to the combustion chamber. 
   
     
     
         12 . The combustor of  claim 11 , wherein the heat exchanger portion includes one of a helical passage and a sinusoidal passage. 
     
     
         13 . The combustor of  claim 11 , wherein the first air inlet and the second air inlet are in fluid communication with a discharge of a compressor upstream of the burner, wherein air entering the second air inlet has a higher temperature than the ammonia flow in the heat exchanger portion. 
     
     
         14 . The combustor of  claim 11 , wherein the outer fuel/air premixer body includes a first tube concentrically spaced from a second tube, and a swozzle assembly between the first tube and the second tube downstream of the first air inlet, the swozzle assembly including a plurality of turning vanes imparting a swirl to air passing therebetween, wherein each of the turning vanes includes an internal fuel flow passage in fluid communication with at least one fuel nozzle, the fuel inlet introducing fuel into the internal fuel flow passage. 
     
     
         15 . The combustor of  claim 11 , further comprising an end plate coupled to the inner hydrogen-generating body, the end plate configured to removably position the inner hydrogen-generating body within the outer fuel/air premixer body. 
     
     
         16 . The combustor of  claim 15 , wherein the second air inlet includes an opening in the end plate in fluid communication with a source of hot air. 
     
     
         17 . The combustor of  claim 11 , wherein the second air inlet includes an opening in the hollow body in fluid communication with the mixing passage. 
     
     
         18 . The combustor of  claim 11 , further comprising a first passage support positioned upstream of the catalyst portion to position the ammonia passage within the hollow body, and a second passage support positioned downstream of the catalyst portion to position the ammonia passage within the hollow body, wherein each passage support includes an open interior to allow air to pass therethrough. 
     
     
         19 . A method comprising:
 in a burner for a combustor of a gas turbine system:   mixing air and fuel for injection into a combustion chamber of the combustor in an outer fuel/air premixer body having a first air inlet, a fuel inlet, and a mixing passage; and   generating hydrogen for injection into the combustor reaction zone in an inner hydrogen-generating body inside the mixing passage of the outer fuel/air premixer body, the hydrogen generating including heating a gaseous ammonia in an ammonia passage in the hydrogen-generating body to form a hydrogen-containing flow; and   injecting the hydrogen-containing flow into the combustion chamber for combustion with a fuel/air mixture from the outer fuel/air premixer body.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein an inner hydrogen-generating body includes:
 a hollow body having a second air inlet; and   wherein the ammonia passage is within the hollow body and includes an ammonia inlet, a heat exchanger portion downstream from the ammonia inlet, a catalyst portion downstream of the heat exchanger portion, and an exit to the combustion zone downstream of the catalyst portion,   wherein the heating includes directing an air flow from the second air inlet in the hollow body over the heat exchanger portion and the catalyst portion to generate the hydrogen from a gaseous ammonia flow therein, the hydrogen-containing flow exiting from the exit of the ammonia passage for the injecting into the combustion chamber.